Evaporating plant operating by thermocompression



Dec. 4, 1951 A. B. OTTOLENGHI 2,577,090

EVAPORATING PLANT OPERATING BY THERMOCOMPRESSION Filed Dec. 4, 1947 INVENTfl/ Ann/x0 B. 0 TTOL E/VGW/ Patented Dec. 4, 1 951 unites-o STAT ES a ore-Les;

2,577,096;- riv roRA'rmGiPLANTpFERZiIING 3r- TH R OC R S N Arturo bt'tolnghi, Genoa; italy, assignorzto Wedekindic 0., Genoa, Italy v .siapiitauon ne inber 4, iaifi seiial N6. 789,659"- many December 22;1942

Thissimzention relates to an evaporating ap paratus, more particularly for concentrating.

juices, which afiords a considerable economy in operation.

Aopro'cess ofievaporizingliquid while progress-'- inggitilthrough. aseries of vessels or evaporating:

units-:which are: permanently connected with ea'cliuothen': sothat at certain evaporating unit sumption, that is by connecting .-an-. evaporating;

chamber of 1 an initial unit with the heating chamber of the next one and so on, in some cases suitable :condensing. apparatus being employed. in .01ider to ensure. a .high. .vapor l ouput from the last units. I H

The chief object of the presentinvention is to provide an -evaporatingapparatus' compris ing inicombination a thermocompressor.and a plurality of evaporating. unitsaconnected in 'such a manner as to obtain eitherzfrlactional. co'n centrationior.multiple;efieet, using in each operationnsuitable .means for securing the highest efiiciency ofthe plant.

h-ifurtherwobject of this invention is topro videt a; multiple efiect evaporating apparatus compri i gran evaporating-:':unit,: a. thermocornpressor coupled with.said evaporating unit, a

number of evaporating units having a stirring, meanssvalved conduit rneansfor connecting" said pliiral-ity ofevaporating'-'units with each other and with said first evaporating unit in such a manner that a multiple eifect apparatus is obtained. Means for cutting ofi said thermocompressor from said first evaporating unit are employed.

A further object of this invention is to provide an apparatus of the type described in which vapor condensing means are provided having valved conduit means for separately connecting and disconnecting said first and second mentioned evaporating units with said condensing means.

The invention will be better understood by reference to the accompanying drawing which shows diagrammatically an apparatus in its preferred embodiment.

A shows an evaporator operating by thermo- [1' claim. (01. 1595-261.-

compressional and. comprising arr. evaporating chamber: 6a,: heatingchamber b; .thermocompres-s sor 'i fed bynthevlive steam conduit u; and pipes t and q; whichiconneet the. evaporating. chamber: aswithzthe, :condensing: unit.

A iipipeas provided with arcock 1 connects the chambenhwithrthe condensing apparatus 0. when: it is-desir'edtonperate in vacuum also in the heat ing. chamber;

B B" are conventional: single-acting evapc raters"; each vof'w-hich is provided with a.:double bottom, d, d for heating purposes; and anevapos rating-ichamberre, e. connected with the heating chamber. :1). of the .evaporator =A zbyxm'eans of the conduits..r,r' andJcoc'ks 4, 5, respectively:

The evaporating chambers e; 'e''- maybe con nee-ted avith the condensing unit C'through cond-uitss-"mem', prcvidedwith cocks I and 3, respectizvely; when it is desired-to operate the evapo rainin -1B; B "in vacuum;

A plant bf: this kindmay operate, for instance, inrlthe following rrianner." The evaporator A; is uti li's'ed for the preliminary concentration of the juices to be processed and which shall be'b'rought to: their final' degree of density in the -evap'o rato.rs-=-B; -B -"generally-in the form of fia'sks and provided with'suitable stirring means n; 11 for'an" efiii'nt-mixing of the concentrate which may be at the' endbf the operation, in a viscous'com ditibm At th'e start of the operation, whenall the" evaporators' A and 'B; B are filled with ,fresh' juice of low density, large quantities ofsteam are evolvedfas is well known; and underthese conditions the steam generated in the evaporators" U- 'as well 'as the' v'alve 6 in order'to cutoffany' communication between the evaporating chamber a and heating chamber b of the unit A.

The valves l, 3 connecting the units B, B with the condensing apparatus C are also closed, the condensing apparatus communicating merely with the unit A through the open valve 2.

All the steam generated in the units B, B is conveyed through the valves 4 and 5 into the heating chamber A.

Consequently, by starting the operation with the fresh juice, and holding the valves 4 and 5 open, the'evaporator A performs the function of a second effect, the first efiect being performed simultaneously by two evaporating units B, B operating now as double-acting units.

On the other hand, according to the initial consistency of the juice, it may be useful to perform the described first step, that is the starting step, operating by treble-effect instead of a doubleefiect only. In this case the heating chamber d of the evaporator B will be connected by means of a pipe p provided with a cock ID with the evaporating chamber e of the evaporator B. By closing the valves l, 3, 5, 6, 9, l and opening the valves 4 and I0 the treble-effect is obtained in which the units B, B and A are the first, second and third-effect vessels, respectively, the live steam being supplied to the heating chamber d of the first effect unit B through a tube 0 provided with a cock II.

An alternative treble effect can be obtained.

by connecting the heating chamber d of the unit B with the evaporating chamber e of the unit B by means of a pipe p provided with a cock [0 and by closing the valves I, 3, 4, 6, 9, l0 and l I and opening the valves 5 and I0, the live steam inlet being new the cock II and the tube 0.

All the operations as described can be performed with or without intervention of the condensing unit C by opening or closing the valve 2.

However, it is known that, all other conditions being equal evaporation decreases as concentration proceeds, so that in carrying out the above described process a point is reached at which the steam evolved by the units B and B would no longer be capable to produce a sufficient evaporation'in the unit A.

It then becomes necessary to provide a supplementary source of heat adapted to afford sufiicient evaporation in the unit A with a low consumption of power.

With this object in view, the thermocompressor twill be connected to the plant by opening the valves 6 and 9 after having closed the valves 4, 5, l0 and I0. At the same time the two evaporating units B and B will be connected to the condensing apparatus C by opening the valves i, 3, each of said units being fed separately by live steam inlet pipes O and O.

In this manner, the units B and B will be single-acting, while the unit A operates with a high efficiency afforded by thermocompression.

A transfer of a juice from the unit A to either one or. both the units B, B for a final concentration can be performed with usual means generally known. However, the arrows 1 indicate diagrammatically the discharge ports of the units A, Band B.

It will be seen that after the preliminary concentration in the evaporator A, the juice may be further concentrated within the units B, B also by afldouble-efiect process independently from the operation of the unit A operating in regen erative cycle. For this purpose it is sufficient to hold the valves 1, 4, 5, l0 and II closed and open valves ll, [0 and 3 so that the unit B becomes a first-effect vessel and B the second effect one.

Many other combinations are possible, as for example when it is desired to operate the evaporating units B only or unit A only, as may be required in periods of reduced activity without reaching the highest concentrations.

In the first case the unit A will be cut-01f by closing the valves 2, 4, 5, 6, 1 and 9 and the remaining valves being in the open or closed" position in order to operate the evaporators B and B separately or by double-effect as above described.

In the second case, by opening the valves 2, 6 and 9 and closing valves l, 3, 4, 5, H and II, the evaporator A will be operated in a regenerative condition.

The plant may obviously comprise a plurality of units A and B, leaving unaltered its main properties within the scope set forth in the appended claim.

What I claim is:

Evaporating apparatus comprising in combination a first evaporating unit, a thermocompressor adapted to be connected with and disconnected from said unit, valved means connecting said thermocompressor with a live steam conduit, two evaporating units having stirring means, valved conduits for supplying live steam separately to each said last unit, valved conduits conmeeting the evaporating chamber of either of said last mentioned units, with the heating chamber of the other unit and with the heating chamber of said first mentioned unit, and a condensing apparatus adapted to be selectively connected with either of the evaporating chambers of said three units and with the heating chamber of the first mentioned unit.

ARTURO B. OTTOLENGHI.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 936,760 Childs Oct. 12, 1909 1,200,996 Soderluncl and Boberg Oct. 10, 1916 1,213,596 De Baufre Jan. 23, 1917 1,390,677 De Baufre Sept. 13, 1921 1,420,641 Mabee June 27, 1922 1,552,534 Bancel Sept. 8, 1925 1,785,530 Ray et al Dec. 16, 1930 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 246,807 Great Britain Dec. 10, 1925 

